Two Saskatoon afforestation areas receive $100K to build barriers to stop illegal garbage dumping
Two historic afforestation areas in Saskatoon are receiving federal funding to help stop illegal garbage dumping and provide educational resources.
The money will help protect and restore the 326-acre Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area and the 148-acre George Genereux Urban Regional Park, both situated on the west edge of the city.
These man-made forests are the only remaining portions of a 1970s city plan to create a greenbelt around Saskatoon.
The areas will receive $100,080 through the Government of Canada’s Climate Action and Awareness Fund (CAAF) from now until the end of 2022.
Non-profit charity Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas helped secure the money.
Julia Adamson, chair of the Friends, said a portion will go towards installing barriers to stop motorized vehicles from entering and dumping garbage in these man-made forests.
The rest will go towards ongoing garbage clean-ups, educational programming and conducting ecological surveys and bio-blitzes to identify significant species and landscape features.
The Friends have led garbage clean-ups in the larger afforestation area, named after world-renowned forester Richard St. Barbe Baker, since 2015 and got permission last fall to do similar clean-ups at George Genereux Urban Regional Park, according to Adamson.
During that time, around 38,300 kilograms or 84,439 pounds of illegally dumped trash has been collected from both parks.
“We don’t want to keep doing that year after year after year,” Adamson said.
“With barriers up, the truck loads of trash cannot come in. We don’t have to worry about shingles and construction supplies and hotel garbage anymore.”
Richard White, a board member of the Friends, said the afforestation areas are a place where people of all ages to gather, connect with nature and enjoy a boreal forest type of woodland within the city.
“Here, we have the opportunity to have such a large and semi-wild natural area right within an urban area and that’s very rare, certainly on the Prairies,” White said.
“We have a really unique opportunity to develop this as a special spot, just like we have Wanuskewin and other spots in the city that attract not only locals but visitors.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Bayer recalls hydraSense baby product over 'potential contamination'
Bayer announced Thursday it is recalling two lots of its hydraSense Baby Nasal Care Easydose due to a potential contamination.
N.L. gardening store revives 19th century seed-packing machine
Technology from the 19th century has been brought out of retirement at a Newfoundland gardening store, as staff look for all the help they can get to fill orders during a busy season.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.